Sri Lanka prez dissolves parliament, fresh polls to be held on January 5

10 November, 2018 2:41 AM

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Sri Lanka's political crisis deepened November 9 after its president Maithripala Sirisena dissolved parliament, paving the way for a general election to be held on January 5, nearly two years ahead of its time.

Sirisena signed a gazette notification to dissolve the nation's parliament with effect from November 9 midnight, in another surprise move that comes after two weeks of political and constitutional turmoil.

According to the gazette notice, nominations to contest the snap election would be taken between November 19 and 26.

The election will be held January 5 and the new parliament would be convened on January 17.

Sirisena issued a gazette noticing that parliament stands dissolved some 21 months ahead of its schedule in August 2020, amid a worsening constitutional crisis triggered by the surprise sacking of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.

The dissolution comes hours after a close aide of the President said Sirisena had decided that there will be no snap elections or a national referendum to end the current political and constitutional crises in Sri Lanka.

Wickremesinghe, who dubbed the move as a "constitutional coup", has refused to vacate his official residence, saying he is the lawful prime minister and that the president has no constitutional right to replace him.

His request for a floor test to prove his majority in the House has been turned down.

He cited the 19th amendment to the Constitution in which the president has been barred from sacking a prime minister or dissolving parliament before the expiry of its four and a half years term.

After Wickremesinghe's sacking, Sirisena suspended parliament until November 16. It was to allow Rajapaksa to muster the 113 seats required to prove his majority.

Sri Lankan strongman and former president Rajapaksa, however, remains short of the 'magic number' 113 required to prove his majority in Parliament, his spokesman acknowledged Friday.

Parliament Speaker Karu Jayasuriya on Monday slammed Sirisena's "unconstitutional and undemocratic" actions to sack Prime Minister Wickremesinghe and suspend Parliament, saying he will not recognise Rajapaksa as the new premier unless he wins a floor test.

The assembly speaker wants the floor test to take place on November 14.